Something There
by MediumDripKlaine
Summary: What happens when Chris meets Darren, a volunteer at a local Children's hospital? CrissColfer AU


**This is a silly, pointless little CrissColfer one-shot, so sorry that it's so crappy. Sometimes you just need to get your feelings out because they won't leave you alone, you know? haha.**

**This was inspired by this Klaine AU, but I obviously changed it to CrissColfer.**

**gleeddicted: /post/23430473639/**

**The title is taken from the Disney song, "Something There."**

* * *

Long, white hallways and scurrying nurses were never something Chris enjoyed, but he was used to them. Growing up around a sister with epilepsy meant many trips to the doctor, planned and unplanned. Luckily today was a scheduled visit.

He watched as the doctor escorted Hannah through a set of double doors, turning around once she disappeared. His parents normally accompanied Hannah to and from her appointments. However, his mom had a prior engagement, and his dad wasn't able to get off of work in time. Chris assured them he would be fine taking her by himself, and that's how he ended up wandering up and down the first floor halls of a Los Angeles hospital.

To pass the time, he wandered into the gift shop and looked around. Feeling a sudden need to be a good person today, he decided to pick out a small little stuffed animal to surprise an unhappy little boy or girl.

Once making his purchase-a green dinosaur with blue and yellow spots dotting its back-he headed towards the pediatrics' wing. He was surprised when he realized how different it was from the rest of the hospital. The walls weren't the dull white color; they were a bright, joyful yellow instead. There were decorations of fairy tale creatures and Disney movies. It was much like he expected a daycare to be decorated, and he supposed it was nice that each kid was surrounded by something familiar to them, even when they were stuck in such an unfamiliar place.

Chris remembered the times Hannah spent in the hospital when she was younger. Of course, that was back in Clovis before their family moved to Los Angeles. The hospital she was required to spend so much time in looked nothing like the bright, almost _happy_, one Chris was currently standing in.

He rounded a corner, ready to pick out a kid whom he thought looked deserving of the dinosaur in his hands, but slowed down when he heard a voice that captured his full attention, eventually coming to a stop.

The voice didn't sound like it belonged to a child. It was much too deep, more rugged, more controlled. It was a voice of someone who could sing, and he could sing _well_. He listened as "Someday My Prince Will Come" began filling his ears. The man didn't change the lyrics, something Chris felt was odd, but after a few seconds he realized there wasn't much reason to change the lyrics. These were kids, innocent children who had much more to worry about than a boy singing a song about his prince finding him.

Chris found himself walking towards the voice and ended up outside of an open door. He stayed hidden behind it, watching through the little rectangular window in the door. The room was full of children of all ages; some couldn't have been older than two, and others were probably ten at the youngest. They were all very still, focused on the man sitting in front of them belting out the tunes they knew so well.

Chris studied him as he sang. He closed his eyes a couple of times, but when they were open, Chris could see a pair of dark, eyes which almost seemed to shine under the fluorescent lights. The man-he was probably a few years older than Chris himself, he decided-had a head full of dark, curly hair, and Chris couldn't stop staring. As he sang, his neck was stretched out, and Chris had never had such a desire to kiss anything more in his life.

He snapped out of his trance when he realized _what_he was thinking about, and focused on the singing, the words coming out of his mouth. He had moved on to "Just Around the Riverbend," and Chris laughed at the sight. The man got more into a single children's song than he had seen professional actors in a theater get. Chris supposed that's why the children enjoyed him so much. He was quite entertaining, and Chris almost found himself wishing he was younger some could slide in next to the patients and watch the man in awe.

He got lost in his thoughts and didn't realize that the music had stopped until he heard the man say "I'll be right back, guys," as he set his guitar down on the floor next to his chair.

Chris turned around quickly and began walking away, apparently not fast enough.

"Like what you hear?" the man called out after him.

Chris could have pretended like he didn't hear the man and continued walking down the hall, but something inside of him made him stop. He turned around, embarrassed for getting caught, and couldn't help the blush that rose to his cheeks. "It," he cleared his throat before continuing. "it was wonderful. Entertaining. I mean, for the kids. They seemed to like it."

The man nodded as if he didn't believe Chris wasn't entertained as well and glanced at the stuffed dinosaur. "Personal souvenir?"

It took Chris a few seconds to realize what the man was talking about "What, this?" I was going to surprise a random patient with it."

"How kind of you," the man said, and Chris couldn't tell if he was being genuine or if there was a hint of sarcasm in his voice.

Chris stayed silent, staring down at the dinosaur in his hands and fumbled with the spikes on its back.

"I need to get back in there," the man spoke up again. "The kids get kind of impatient."

Chris looked up and saw hesitance in the man's eyes. "Oh, yeah. Of course." Was he... Disappointed?

The man stuck out his hand "I'm Darren, by the way."

Chris shook his hand. "Chris Colfer."

Chris tried to take his hand back, but Darren held on. "Would you like to join me? You can come inside the room this time," he teased.

Chris nodded and followed Darren inside.

XXX

Darren set Chris down in the chair he had previously been occupying and picked up his guitar, turning to the antsy children with a smile on his face.

"Hey, guys. I hope you don't mind that I brought a friend back with me." The kids shook their heads and shouted mixed forms of acceptance. Chris shifted uncomfortably in his chair. "This is Chris. Can you guys say hello?" As if programmed to do so, the children unanimously said "Hello."

Darren fiddled with his guitar once more and Chris watched him from behind. Eventually, he began to play a few chords and knelt next to Chris as he began singing.

_There's something sweet and almost kind / but he was mean and he was coarse and unrefined / but now he's dear and so unsure / I wonder why I didn't see it there before_

Chris bit his lips to hold back the thunderous laugh that was trying to escape his lips. Hearing Darren sing Belle's lines, batting his eyelashes and pursing his lips while singing, was something he hadn't expected to experience when he woke up this morning.

Darren turned towards the kids and quickly back to Chris as he sang the next line.

_He glanced this way, I thought I saw_

Chris didn't miss the way Darren changed the lyrics. In fact, he was so preoccupied with the thought of Darren singing this song to him (Was he? It sure seemed like it!) that he barely noticed when Darren stopped playing his guitar for a few seconds to gently place his hand on Chris' arm.

_And when we touched he didn't shutter at my paw_

Darren stood up and began circling around the children. He glanced between each of them, but his focus stayed primarily on Chris at the front of the room.

_No it can't be, I'll just ignore / But then he's never looked at me that way before_

This time, Chris didn't try to muffle his laugh or hide his smile. He had to admit, he was enjoying Darren's performance a little bit more than he wished he was.

_New and a bit alarming / Who'd have ever thought that this could be? / And he seems like Prince Charming / And there's something in him that I simply do see_

This time, with _those_ change of lyrics, Chris was positive Darren was singing about _someone_, even if it wasn't him.

The kids went wild as Darren continued, mimicking the voices of the different Beauty and the Beast characters.

_Well who'd have thought / Well, bless my soul / Well, who'd have known / Well, who indeed / And who'd have guessed they'd come together on their own / It's so peculiar, wait and see_

_We'll wait and see / A few days more / There may be something there that wasn't there before_

_You know, perhaps there's something there that wasn't there before_

Darren finally returned to Chris' side.

_There may be something there that wasn't there before._

Chris was speechless, and Darren was out of breath. They stared at each other for a few minutes until one of the kids coughed, making both of them jump.

Darren cleared his throat and turned away from Chris. "That's it for today, guys." The kids all groaned in disappointment. "Don't worry. I promise I'll come back soon."

Chris sat still in his chair and waited for Darren to finish putting his guitar away in its case. The kids started to disappear, leaving them alone at the front of the room.

"So…" Darren started. He closed his case and stood up. "Have you eaten lunch?"

"Um, no," Chris shook his head.

"Great. Do you want to have lunch with me? I hate eating alone. Everyone stares at me like I'm some kind of loner and it creeps me the fuck out."

"Oh... I... My sister is here. I'm with her."

"So bring her along." Darren shrugs

"She won't be done for a couple of hours." Chris worried his bottom lip between his teeth and nervously fiddled with the sleeve of his jacket.

"So, that means you can come with me."

"As much as I'd like to help you out and pretend to be someone you want to hang out with in order to avoid pity stares, I'll pass. I'm not big on hospital food."

"Who says I don't want to hang out with you? You're an intriguing man, Chris Colfer."

Chris froze. "I..."

"Besides, there's no way you could get me to eat the shit they serve here. I always have my mom bake a couple dozen cookies and bring them for the kids here. It's nice to see them eating something decent." Darren held out his hand "So, what do you say? My car's parked right outside the door. Care to accompany me?"

Chris hesitated for a minute as he stared at Darren's open hand, palm up. He didn't know this man. However, he wasn't looking forward to sitting in a crowded lobby for hours as the scent of antiseptic filtered through his nose and the sound of screaming children pierced his ears.

Sighing, he slid his hand into Darren's and smiled a bit. "Don't make me regret this."

Darren grinned back and pulled him out of the room.

XXX

"So, you volunteer at the hospital for your own pleasure?" Chris set down his red tray, piled high with a hamburger and greasy French fries. He slid into the booth across from Darren and eyed his food, trying to decide what looked the most edible. He didn't want to tell Darren that he almost preferred to eat a wilted hospital salad than the "heart attack waiting to happen" that was currently on the table in front of him.

"Yeah, what else do I have to do? It gives me a good rep, and who knows. Maybe one day, some big movie producer will be wandering down the hall with his daughter during one of her scheduled check-ups, hear my voice, and instantly sign me, right there on the spot!"

Chris giggled and spun a fry between his fingers before popping it into his mouth. "I don't think that's quite how the world works, Darren."

"It can, you know." Darren took a bite of his hamburger. Chris pretended to ignore the little bit of ketchup in the corner of Darren's mouth. He found it cute in a messy, teenage-boy kind of way.

"Or some people dream about being an actor for years, go to audition after audition, and don't even land a cameo appearance in a low-budget indie film that most likely won't play in more than a few hundred theaters across the country," Chris retorted. He sipped his diet coke.

Darren noticed Chris' untouched burger and the mound of fries still on his plate. "Are you going to eat those?"

Chris pushed his tray away. "I'm not that hungry," he grumbled.

Just like that, Darren saw Chris close in on himself. The thick layers of Chris he was beginning to peel away grew again, and the Chris in front of him didn't want anything to do with Darren.

"I know what you need." Darren slid out of the booth and walked up to the diner's long counter.

Chris turned his focus to what was going on outside the window. What was he doing here anyway? He should be in the hospital's waiting room in case Hannah got done early. He wasn't, though. He was with a complete stranger, one who showed some kind of interest in him, no matter how platonic or romantic, and Chris couldn't quite figure out why. Why did Darren want to talk to_ him_?

He was brought back to reality when Darren pushed a glass in front of him. "What's this?" he asked with a raised eyebrow.

"A chocolate milkshake, dummy," Darren chuckled.

Chris supposed he should be offended by the derogatory nickname, but coming from Darren, he felt as if it was almost a sign of endearment.

"And why do I need this?"

"Because milkshakes make everything better."

"If you say so," Chris rolled his eyes, but Darren instantly felt Chris' walls begin to disappear once again.

Chris, though wanting to be stubborn and resilient, took a small sip of his milkshake and nearly moaned in pleasure. "Oh my god."

"Yeah?" Darren smirked and began drinking his own milkshake.

"I hate you."

"This is the start of a beautiful relationship, Chris Colfer."

Chris couldn't help the chuckle that came out.

He just couldn't.

XXX

Darren spent the next hour getting Chris to open up. He found out about where Chris was originally from and why their family moved to Los Angeles. Darren discovered little quirks Chris had and noticed the many parts of his personality that were able to shine through. He got Chris to laugh and smile and joke around. Darren was able to make Chris forget that he didn't really know Darren at all.

Darren liked Chris. There was no doubt about that. He liked the way Chris scrunched his nose up when he disagreed with something and they way he seemed to squeak when he laughed. Darren liked that Chris looked him in the eyes when he spoke and that Chris wasn't afraid to state his opinion. That kind of honesty was something hard to find.

The only thing Darren couldn't seem to figure out in that hour was how Chris felt about _him_. There were times when Chris would playfully tap his hand when Darren was being ridiculous or stare at him a bit too long before shyly looking down at the table, but Darren still couldn't figure out what Chris thought of him.

Darren checked his watch and frowned. "I should probably get you back. Your sister will be done soon."

"Um," Chris let out a nervous little laugh and looked away for a few seconds. "My dad got off work about twenty minutes ago. He was going to pick Hannah up; I only had to drop her off."

"So you lied," Darren accused, but he wasn't angry; he was amused.

"I didn't _lie_. I just… left a few things out."

"You totally tried to get out of spending time with me. I'm hurt." Darren placed a hand over his heart and sunk down into his seat.

"Only because you made me so nervous."

"Oh?" Darren raised an eyebrow.

"I'm not good at making friends," Chris mumbled.

"Well," Darren reached across the table and took hold of Chris' hand, "you're doing a great job. Come on." Darren slid out of the booth and tugged on Chris' hand. "Since you suddenly have so much free time to fill, you can join me for a walk."

In the future when Chris looks back on the moment, he will be surprised by how willingly he went along with whatever the other man wanted. In the moment, though, there was nothing he wanted more than to spend more time with Darren.

XXX

The neighborhood around the diner was quiet with a friendly atmosphere. It was clean and beautifully landscaped, which resulted in being a wonderful place to go for a walk. Once they were outside, Darren kept hold of Chris' hand, and Chris didn't seem to mind. They walked together, hand-in-hand, while continuing their previous conversation.

To them, time seemed to stand still. They never knew how many minutes had actually passed since they began their walk, but neither one of them cared. Chris, well… Chris didn't have many friends. He didn't have anywhere better to be, and Darren didn't want to be anywhere else. They wanted to be with _each other_, even if they were both too afraid to admit it.

Quite a bit of time must have passed, though. The sun was setting, and the dark clouds rolling in only made the day turn into night that much quicker. The only source of light was from the street lamps and the occasional car passing by.

A few drops of rain began to fall on them, eventually picking up and falling at a steady pace. Darren quickened their walk until they were almost running down the sidewalk with Chris trailing closely behind. Darren rounded a corner onto what he thought was another sidewalk, but it ended up being a patch of grass which had actually turned into mud due to the rain. Before he knew it, his feet slid out from under him and he tumbled to the ground, accidentally pulling Chris with him.

"Shit, Chris. I'm so sorry." Darren looked down to examine their mud-stained clothes.

"My mom is going to kill me," Chris laughed. He let himself fall on top of Darren and relaxed as the rain fell on top of them.

"Why are you laughing, then?" Darren felt horrible. It was his idea that they go for a walk, and it was his fault they slipped and fell to the ground. He'd never wanted to disappear more before in his life. He couldn't remember being so _embarrassed_ in his life. However, Chris really didn't seem to mind. He sat between Darren's legs as Darren situated himself against the wall.

"Because I'm genuinely happy for once." Chris should have been more surprised by his honesty than he was. He should have lied. He should have made something up; anything but telling Darren the truth. But he didn't. Chris told Darren exactly what he was thinking, because being _happy_ did that to him. Being happy made him fearless.

The rain continued falling on them, but neither of them cared. They were already soaked and dirty; not much more could happen.

Chris looked up at Darren then, his curly hair soaked with water and his eyes shining bright even in the dark surrounding them. He wasn't sure who made the first move—perhaps it was mutual. All he was sure of was the feeling rushing through him when their lips finally met. It was wet and slick due to the rain, but it had a sense of urgency to it. It was everything Chris thought his first kiss would be and more. It was the butterflies in his stomach coming to life. It was the cliché fireworks he saw when their lips slid together. It was the sense of belonging as Darren's arms wrapped around him. It was everything he thought he would never get.

They finally parted after an unknown amount of time, and one look into each other's eyes told them that the other felt the same way. They felt something there, something that wasn't able to be defined. It was the greatest feeling one could imagine.

After one more, much shorter kiss, Chris stood and held his hand out to help Darren up. "Race you back to the diner," he challenged and took off without warning. Darren yelled after him, grinning and careful where he stepped so he didn't fall again.

They laughed so hard they cried, their tears mixing with the rain. They held onto each other while waiting at a crosswalk. They both knew there was much to be discussed. What were they? What did that kiss mean? What will they tell everyone? There's plenty of time for that, though. Deep down, they both know that their life together began as soon as Darren caught Chris watching him sing a silly Disney song. They just _knew_ they would be together, even if it hadn't been said. But for now, not much else mattered. The only thing they cared about in that moment was each other, and let's face it, they were already off to a pretty great start.

* * *

**Like I said, nothing special. It was supposed to be a little drabble, but it was a little bit longer than that, so I decided to upload it here instead :)**


End file.
